Saturday, March 17, 2012

What We Talked About At Kent Park

It was a day of adventure. As my son Ben and his girlfriend paddled around the lake at Kent Park in our first kayaking day of 2012, Audrey and I strolled around the lake on a trail.

I told her I had pretty much resigned myself to just doing 3 days of RAGBRAI this year.

“Why?” she asked.

Well, because I didn’t have anybody to cart my stuff.

“You can put your bags on the baggage truck” she noted.

I got the general idea that she didn’t mind me being gone for seven days rather than three.

“We can spend a day visiting Nina, and then I can drop you off,” she said.We agreed that I could camp the night before the first day’s ride, just as I would camp every other night.

Hmmmm.

Today was a day of firsts.We had taken Nikayla and Tristan to “Pinkalicious” at Mount Mercy the night before, the first time we had taken those two to a play.That went well.Today was the first kayak day of 2012, and Nicole’s first time ever in a kayak.Despite choppy, cold water, it was a pleasant experience.

The first tulips were in bloom today.It was hot, for March.It reminded me of the RAGBRAI days of 2011, except those were much hotter.

Still, something about the day, the walk, the wellness of the first adventures we had been on recently, maybe my heat-addled brain.I felt my mind shifting.

Last year, I did my first RAGBRAI as part of a group.

This year, am I ready to solo for about half a RAGBRAI?To Audrey’s “why,” the only answer that seems adequate is: “Why not?”

There you have it, blog friends.It will depend on luck in the Register’s lottery—I’m not riding that far “alone” without official support—but, in case you’ve awaited the decision from CR Biker, it is:

I’m doing it. Wish this half-Irish guy some luck on this fateful St. Patty's Day!

About Me

Associate Professor of Communication at Mount Mercy University, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Father of 6, grandfather of 8 and counting. One son in family of 7--I have 6 sisters (but I also didn't have to wear hand-me-downs much).